Mishaal: Israel should bear the consequences of refusing calm

Mishaal: Israel should bear the consequences of refusing calm

Khalid Mishaal, the Hamas supreme leader, has warned that Israel should bear the consequences if it did not respond positively to the Egyptian efforts regarding the calm issue.


He underlined that his Movement would never accept a one-sided truce or give its final approval to it unless there are specific commitments from Israel.


In an interview with Al-Jazeera satellite channel, Mishaal pointed out that Hamas agreed to start the truce in Gaza and then in the West Bank in order to lift the siege and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, highlighting that if Israel does not want calm, then it will be the other way.


The Hamas leader underscored that the truce is a conflict management tactic and a step within the square of resistance, adding that as long as there is occupation, there is resistance, but the resistance should take into account the general circumstances.


In a reply to a question about whether Israel would accept a Palestinian state within 1967 borders and the return of refugees and Jerusalem without recognizing it, he said that the Israeli occupation would not accept this offer unless it was forced to accept it.


Mishaal expressed fears in this regard of imposing a settlement on PA chief Mahmoud Abbas according to the American vision, which is biased in favor of the Israeli occupation, during the forthcoming visit of US president George Bush to the region.


In another development, the Hamas Movement denounced the IOF troops for pounding at dawn Saturday a Palestinian house belonging to one of Hamas leaders called Talaat Marouf killing his 14-year-old daughter and injuring some others, considering it a “criminal, barbarian act”.
 
The Movement added that the Israeli tanks and warplanes continued to shell the house until it was completely flattened and became ruins, pointing out that the fate of Marouf is still unknown.


Hamas underlined in this regard that the Israeli occupation understands only the language of force and does not care about any calm, pointing out that it would not stay passive towards such Israeli crimes.